


a moment out of destiny

by marshmallownose



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Awkwardness, Canon Compliant, Could be seen as an AU, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Set between episodes 1.04 and 1.05, They're both so flustered!, but I like to think this happened, copious amounts of italics bc i like them, hand-holding, i wrote this in 15 minutes sorry if it sucks, kind of, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 06:14:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20326441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marshmallownose/pseuds/marshmallownose
Summary: Two days after King Bayard and the rest of the delegation from Mercia had departed, Gwen knew they’d be discussing the kiss sooner rather than later. The kiss. The kiss she’d planted on Merlin only moments after he’d wrenched himself back from the jaws of death. God, she could be so thoughtless sometimes! She paced outside the door to Gaius’ chambers, wringing her hands and rubbing her face as if she could scrub away the mortification that crawled just below her skin. Stupid, stupid, stupid!





	a moment out of destiny

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fake_Ruby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fake_Ruby/gifts).

> For Rey. Your prompt had me squealing. I love this underrated ship so much and I really hope you like it. There's more coming your way I promise.

Two days after King Bayard and the rest of the delegation from Mercia had departed, Gwen knew they’d be discussing the kiss sooner rather than later. _The_ kiss. The kiss she’d planted on Merlin only moments after he’d wrenched himself back from the jaws of death. God, she could be so _thoughtless_ sometimes! She paced outside the door to Gaius’ chambers, wringing her hands and rubbing her face as if she could scrub away the mortification that crawled just below her skin. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

She just wanted to get it over with, let him let her down as gently as only Merlin ever could and be done with it. Gwen would just pine from afar like the lovestruck _fool_ she was. Oh, but what if he _wasn’t_ gentle about it? What if Merlin laughed in her face and told her to stay away from him? That he didn’t want Gwen and her eager mouth anywhere near him?

Gwen fell back against the wall, burning face pressed firmly into her palms and let out a pitiful whine. She was being ridiculous! Irrational! Merlin—sweet, goofy, _beautiful_ Merlin—would absolutely never, _ever_ be so cruel. It simply wasn’t possible, what with a heart as open and good as his. Her hands slide off her face as she sighed. No, he’d let her down like the slightly awkward gentleman he was.

She steeled herself for the inevitable heartache and spun toward the door, giving the door a firm rap of her knuckles. _Oh, dear...was that too harsh? _Gwen fretted immediately. _Maybe I should have gone for a subtler knock—_

“Come in!” came Gaius’ soft, gravelly voice, interrupting her buzzing thoughts.

Gwen sucked in a sharp, nervous breath and pushed the door ajar, peeking her head through the crack. Gaius was busy crushing what smelled like rosemary in a mortar, while Merlin played with his porridge at the table. “Ah, Guinevere,” Gaius greeted warmly at the same instant Merlin perked up and chirped out a cheerful, “Gwen!”

Her knees went all wobbly at the sight of his beaming smile. It stretched wide across his face, and his eyes crinkled up at the corners, and to have that sunny grin directed at _Gwen?_ A dreamy sigh escaped her and it took Gaius clearing his throat for her to snap back to reality.

“My child, did you need something?” he asked bemusedly. “Did the Lady Morgana send for another sleeping draught?”

Gwen stepped fully into the room, averting her eyes from the blinding smile that Merlin still sported. “Um, actually,” she began sheepishly, “I was looking for Merlin. But, um, I’m _sure_ she’d appreciate it! A draught, I mean!”

Merlin cocked his head curiously to the side, as Gaius raised a knowing eyebrow. “I see...” he said, glancing between the two young people in his quarters. “Well, how about I send you off with the Lady Morgana’s remedy, and Merlin can escort you up?”

Gwen risked a glance at the boy in question to find him already watching her. When he caught her eye, he gave her a charming little shrug and got to his feet. “Sounds great to me!” he said, taking the glass bottle that his mentor held out for him. “Arthur doesn’t need me for at least another hour, anyway. Some sort of treaty debriefing with the council,” he explained when he noticed Gwen’s nose wrinkle up in confusion. “I don’t pretend to care.” He stood at her side, now, and gave Gaius a quick wave goodbye, before leading her out into the hall.

Gwen took a deep breath and held it, butterflies flapping furiously in her gut as they walked along the stone corridors. For a few minutes, there was silence between them until Merlin suddenly paused. “Wait, you said you needed me for something?” he asked, turning to face her fully. Sun shone through the windows behind him, lighting up his silhouette in a hazy white outline. He looked ethereal, and for a moment Gwen could hardly breathe, overwhelmed by the urge to kiss him again. “Gwen?” he prompted, eyes glimmering with concern and something she couldn’t place. It saved her from doing something stupid. _Again._

“Oh! Um, well, you see...” she trailed off and took another deep breath. This was her chance. She could put this conversation off—maybe for forever!—and they’d simply never speak of it again. She’d live with the embarrassment till the day she died and he’d simply never know. But then she looked him in the eye and knew that this was something that had to be discussed, had to be said. “About the kiss...”

“Oh, is that all?” Merlin asked suddenly, face breaking out into a smile again. “You had me worried it was something bad, Gwen.”

“It’s..._not_ bad? I mean, you thought I was going to tell you something bad?” she said, flustered.

“No! Wait, yes, I thought you were going to say something bad. But the kiss, the one you gave me the other day, was _not_ bad. Um, not bad at all.”

Now _Merlin_ was all flustered, and this was just as Gwen feared. She’d absolutely ruined everything, and she could never show her face in the physician’s chamber again, and she’d probably die in the streets, because she’d refuse to go get treatment and face Merlin because now he was _uncomfortable_, because _she’d_ brought it up, and—

“I wouldn’t mind if you did that again, actually,” mused Merlin. Then, he blanched, waving his hands in front of him as the sleeping draught sloshed around wildly in its container. “That came out wrong! Wait.” He paused, taking a deep breath of his own. “No, it didn’t. _Gah!_ I’m sorry, I’m total rubbish at this; I never, you know, talked to girls much back home. Never talked to anyone, really. No one like you, at least. In a good way!”  
  
Gwen was gobsmacked. He was... He wanted... He wanted her to kiss him? _Again? Her?!_ He was suddenly stuttering and adorably ruffled all because of her?

“I mean, I know you just did it because you thought I was dead, but then I wasn’t, and _oh!”_

Before he could get another word out—and before she could have her own freak-out—Gwen surged forward and, cupping his face with her hands, kissed him full on the mouth. He stumbled back a few steps into the stone wall, but once he regained his balance, returned it eagerly.

He slid the hand that didn’t hold the bottle up over her shoulder and played with the loose curls at the nape of her neck; he hesitantly rested his wrist by her waist, and to let him know that was just fine by her, she pressed into him closer, sandwiching him between her and the wall. He hummed in delight, and her whole body sang with relief and satisfaction. This was what she’d wanted since the first moment she’d laid eyes on him standing up to Arthur, but she’d never thought it a possibility till then.

After about a minute more of their lip-locking, they pulled back for air, breathing heavily. _“That was...” _Gwen started at the same time Merlin whispered, _“Wow.”_ They looked at each other for a moment before bursting into giggles.

“Thank you,” Merlin said once their laughter subsided. His voice seemed so loud in the corridor. “You’re... You’re brilliant, Gwen, truly.”

“Well, not as brilliant as you,” she said, internally wincing at how lame that reply had been.

“So, now that we’ve got that settled,” Merlin said slowly, ears flushing, “should we bring Morgana her medicine?”

Gwen blinked dumbly, before remembering what they’d been doing before they’d started in on each other. “Right! Yes. Yes, we should do that.” She backed up a step to let him get away from the wall and nearly melted when he hesitantly wrapped his hand around hers.

And so they walked through the rest of the castle to Morgana’s rooms, fingers intertwined. When they arrived, Gwen used her free hand to knock on the door, shooting Merlin a bashful smile, which he returned in earnest. “My lady?” she called.

There was a soft padding of feet approaching the door, and it opened to reveal a smiling Morgana. “Gwen,” she greeted warmly. Her gaze shifted to Merlin and her eyes lit up even more. “And Merlin!” It was then, she happened to glance down and notice the state of their joined hands. _“Together...”_ Her smile turned impish. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Gwen felt warm with embarrassment, and she could tell Merlin felt the same. Still, he didn’t yet let go of her hand. “Gwen said you might want a sleeping draught on hand, just in case,” he explained, holding out the little glass bottle for her to take.

Morgana fixed him with a look. “And is that all?” she teased, taking the container from him.

Merlin held her gaze, flashing her a cheeky smile. “My lady, are you asking me to divulge important servant business?” he said, shooting Gwen a conspiratorial look that made her insides gooey.

Her mistress barked a laugh. “Only the fun stuff!” she answered, reaching out to grab Gwen by the wrist. Her eyes glinted eagerly. “Now, as much as I’d _love_ to stand around and chat, Merlin, I _really_ must be asking Gwen here about her morning.”

Merlin obligingly dropped Gwen’s hand and winked when she turned around and mouthed ‘_Help me!’_

“I’ll see you later, then?” he asked.

Morgana answered for her. “You’d better!” she crowed and shut the door behind her. She whirled to a very flustered Gwen with a girlish grin spread wide over her face. “Tell me _everything!”_


End file.
